Our comprehensive initiative transforms forests — whether currently healthy, overly dense, or recently burned — into economic opportunities, thereby enhancing both the forest’s and the community’s vitality. This innovative plan brought together more than 300 landowners, government staff, industry representatives, and community stakeholders to co-develop a business-savvy approach to local economic development and sustainable forestry in the forested counties of northern New Mexico.
Our Five-Step Approach:
- Knowledge Foundation: Compile existing research into accessible tools for stakeholders to make informed decisions.
- Community-Driven Planning: Facilitate collaboration among landowners and industry professionals to develop optimal forest treatment approaches.
- Resource Assessment: Conduct a complete analysis of the forest wood supply to accurately determine available materials and guide investment decisions.
- Industry Growth Strategy: Evaluate and enhance the capacity of local forest products companies to process biomass and identify the specific opportunities to integrate services from outside the region.
- Implementation Blueprint: Create a practical business plan with detailed components for operations, logistics, funding, and governance.
Initially focused on four northern New Mexico counties, this model establishes a framework for scaling up to a statewide and ultimately a continental level. To engage further with this effort, proceed to our CAPSI worksite for the North American Sustainable Forestry Business Plan.